crystal_reading's review against another edition
5.0
ARC from publisher.
Full review at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2016/04/review-outrun-the-moon/
Full review at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2016/04/review-outrun-the-moon/
sawcat's review against another edition
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jacieandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
*audiobook* Really enjoyed the characters and premise. Loss of a star is just because it felt a bit like 2 stories, all the build up at the school and the post earthquake. I think since it was about a 50/50 split it was kind of disconnected. But definitely still worth the read.
chyreads29's review against another edition
3.0
This novel is a great entry point into the genre of historical fiction, and it offers a rare perspective that we don't normally get enough from the early twentieth century. It provides great insight into what it was like for Chinese Americans during that time period who had all the odds stacked up against them. I would recommend this novel after reading something like Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed. Both books feature strong female protagonists who have big dreams but are also dealing with strict parents who want them to adhere to tradition. I also enjoy the feminist touch that Lee adds to the story and the discussions of sexism and the value of education.
I rated the novel three stars because I simply like it. There isn't anything wrong with the writing or the narrative itself, but the novel as a whole just didn't really do much for me. I think I had high expectations when I first began reading, which in the end weren't met. I also think the way the story ends is highly unrealistic, which Lee acknowledges in her author's note. I do think Lee is a very talented writer and I hope to read more from her.
I rated the novel three stars because I simply like it. There isn't anything wrong with the writing or the narrative itself, but the novel as a whole just didn't really do much for me. I think I had high expectations when I first began reading, which in the end weren't met. I also think the way the story ends is highly unrealistic, which Lee acknowledges in her author's note. I do think Lee is a very talented writer and I hope to read more from her.
eleonora_dc's review against another edition
4.0
Four stars! Even though I liked "Under a painted sky" a lot more (that book was one of my 2017 top five), outrun the moon was a joy to read. I loved the Chinese culture throughout the book and my favorite character was Francesca, maybe because she was the only nice Italian... Also, am I the only one who shipped Mercy with Mr Chance?
januaryghosts's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
emdowd's review against another edition
4.0
10 (!!!) years after beginning to write my BA thesis on the Disaster of 1906/The Great Earthquake I can finally think about it again.
Mercy's story was everything I wanted in an historical fiction piece and then some.
Mercy's story was everything I wanted in an historical fiction piece and then some.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Mercy Wong is a smart, ambitious 15-year-old Chinese American citizen in 1906 San Francisco. She's determined to get a top education and start a global business, but there are many, many obstacles before her in a society that sees the Chinese (and all ethnic/racial minorities) as less than human. Yet through her intelligence and hard work she's able to gain admission to St. Clare's, a prestigious girls high school. And then an earthquake literally rocks her world. In many ways I really liked this book, but as the story went on the author asks the reader to suspend belief more and more. Mercy is too good (despite being something of a rule-breaker) and there are way too many coincidences. In the end I found the story too cloying.
labocat's review against another edition
3.0
A truly solid 3.5, and while it was a quick read, I loved every minute of it.
The book, much like the entire Bay Area, can be split into two parts: before the quake and after the quake. However, it's a testament of storytelling that the first half is plausibly able to go in a different direction and on its own rails. Until that April morning when everything changes.
Mercy is a wonderful lens into 1906 San Francisco, and while we do dip into a rather tropey girl's boarding school narrative for a bit, the rest of the girls at the school are full characters themselves. As I said, it very easily could have just been a boarding school book and I still would have read it for Mercy.
However, it's April 1906, and this is San Francisco. Now, I'm San Franciscan, born and bred: I grew up with this history, hearing it, reading it, thinking constantly on what I and my friends and family would do if history repeated. The 1989 Loma Prieta quake is not a distant memory. My high school lay directly on top of a fault line. And yet, you never truly know what will happen or what you'll do. But it's encouraging to read of stories of borders being breached and communities coming together in the face of tragedy and to be reminded that we all have to have courage and stay true to ourselves. The post-quake section of the book never feels cheap in its actions or emotions; I'm not sure I would have loved it quite as much if it hadn't been set in my stomping grounds, but I would hope that a reader who didn't grow up steeped in it could still appreciate the melding of cultures and communities in San Francisco (and the distinct separations) and how much the earthquake changed things.
The book, much like the entire Bay Area, can be split into two parts: before the quake and after the quake. However, it's a testament of storytelling that the first half is plausibly able to go in a different direction and on its own rails. Until that April morning when everything changes.
Mercy is a wonderful lens into 1906 San Francisco, and while we do dip into a rather tropey girl's boarding school narrative for a bit, the rest of the girls at the school are full characters themselves. As I said, it very easily could have just been a boarding school book and I still would have read it for Mercy.
However, it's April 1906, and this is San Francisco. Now, I'm San Franciscan, born and bred: I grew up with this history, hearing it, reading it, thinking constantly on what I and my friends and family would do if history repeated. The 1989 Loma Prieta quake is not a distant memory. My high school lay directly on top of a fault line. And yet, you never truly know what will happen or what you'll do. But it's encouraging to read of stories of borders being breached and communities coming together in the face of tragedy and to be reminded that we all have to have courage and stay true to ourselves. The post-quake section of the book never feels cheap in its actions or emotions; I'm not sure I would have loved it quite as much if it hadn't been set in my stomping grounds, but I would hope that a reader who didn't grow up steeped in it could still appreciate the melding of cultures and communities in San Francisco (and the distinct separations) and how much the earthquake changed things.